Europe, US closer to deal over Iran atom plans

The United States and Europe are inching closer to a deal on a resolution that would criticise Iran's concealment of nuclear research which Washington says was linked to a weapons programme, diplomats say.

On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meets in Vienna to discuss an IAEA report on Iran's nuclear programme, detailing 18 years of failures by Iran to inform the United Nations body of sensitive atomic activities such as uranium enrichment and plutonium production.

The United States, which says Iran's nuclear power programme is a front to develop a bomb, is pushing the 35-nation board to pass a resolution declaring that Iran has not complied with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and report Tehran's breaches to the UN Security Council.

But France, Britain and Germany want to avoid a report to the Council, which would anger Tehran and could lead to the Council imposing economic sanctions. The Europeans are drafting an IAEA board resolution that chides Iran but avoids escalating the issue to UN headquarters in New York.

Washington does not have enough support to get a resolution through the board that would bring Iran before the Security Council - its only allies appear to be Canada, Australia and New Zealand - but both Europeans and Americans want a compromise that would at least let the board reach a consensus.

Diplomats told Reuters that France suggested noting Iran had violated the NPT, while the board would decide not to notify the Security Council and keep the issue at the IAEA in Vienna.

One Western diplomat who follows IAEA matters closely said the use of wording on "non-compliance" brought the proposal "closer to US thinking on the issue".

The diplomat said there was another possible compromise - notifying the Security Council of Iran's non-compliance "purely for informational purposes", with no threat of sanctions.